Clare's Calling
by DegrassiGoddess
Summary: Can Clare stand the stress of her life? One shot unless you guys really want a second chapter. For now, complete.
1. The Start

Her head was pounding while she quickly made her way through the halls of Degrassi. She couldn't stand it. The song was making her head ache. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed with the sound of bumping music playing at the dance. She strolled the dark hallways, trying to clear her mind.

Her dad was having another baby at forty something years old with his home wrecking girlfriend and didn't even bother to tell her until she was five months pregnant. Not that he was talking to her anyways.

Plus, Dallas, GOD she hated Dallas. Dallas was doing nothing but spreading lies about them 'hooking up'. He said they made out while she was drunk. He said she would kiss him in the halls when no one was looking. All of this was totally untrue, but not that Eli believed her. He believed every word Dallas feed him.

Her only firm friend so far was Katie. Yeah, she has Alli and Jenna, but they were both busy. What with fast tracking, song writting, church attending. They spent more time together then with Clare. Katie hadn't always been there, but she was there now, atleast more then Alli and Jenna or Eli and Adam. The fact that she was Jake's love made it easier on her. Not that she was taking advantage of him. Just a nice coincidence.

Nice was the last thing on her mind though. She should kill, she thought. Watch them drown. They were so stupid for abandoning their daughters and believing Dallas, but seriously how could she fix these problems? Why is this happening? Was she not important? Not worthy of respect? Not worthy of anyone time?

Suddenly, everything went silent except for one sound.

Even the sound of her high heels were drowned out by this sound.

Clare took heavy, full steps forward, noticing every time she moved, so would her Asprins. Every step equaled a jerk in the tablets. Her heart pounded and her blood stopped when she neared the water fountain outside the bathroom.

Without her minds permission, her hand slid into her purse, pulling the liquid blue sticky sweet poisions out.

_"Brand new bottle," _she thought to herself. She bought it that morning on her way to school with Jake's money. She looked down at the bottle.

_"Very few things seperating us," _she thought. Just the cap and a cotton ball, then there was a bitter sweet escape out of this.

Death.

She popped the top off with her finger, letting it fall into the water fountain. She creeped her finger inside, pulling the cotton ball out, watching it fall to the ground as she released it. She proped herself on her arm, her fingers pressing the button inwards carefully, the water pouring from the spout. She took a deep breath while nearly throwing up.

_"This is the only thing... that... could make me, happy," _she thought to herself. God, this was stupid.

_"Who are you trying to prove?" _she mentally slapped herself.

She took the opening of the bottle and jammed into her mouth, knocking her head back, letting as many liquid heavens as she could into her mouth. When her mouth was full, she leaned back down, closed her mouth, and threw the rest of the pills on the floor. She leaded her head into the water, the coldness hurting her teeth.

She doors slammed open, Clare not realizing Ms. Oh was in the next hallway, watching everything.

"Clare, Clare, Clare, no!" she frantically said, trying to pull Clare away from the fountain, but Clare, wanting this so bad, gripped as hard as she could.

"NO!" she screamed out.

When Ms. Oh finally took her away from the fountain, she spazzed.

"Please! Don't do this to me, I just want this so bad, don't do this me," she begged frantically.

Ms. Oh took her hidden walkie talkie out from under her blazer and hit the call button.

"Simpson, we have a suicide attempt, call 911, Clare Edwards," she said into it.

"NO, PLEASE!" Clare screamed, just wishing that whatever ambulance comes is to late.

"Clare, it's going to be ok, I need you to breath ok? We'll get you some more water, just calm down, you'll get through this," Ms. Oh said while rubbing her back.

"No it won't!" she screamed.

Meanwhile, five halls over, Alli, Eli, Katie and Dallas were talking to Mr. Simpson after causing a fight on the dance floor... again. When they heard the call from Ms. Oh, the shocked students stared at the walkie talkie, listening for more while Mr. Simpson looked off in the distance, trying to figure out how he'll get this frantic student past the dance.

"Oh, Lord," he said while the student trailed their eyes up to his.

"Stay here," he said, ready to help assist Ms. Oh.

"No way," Eli chimmed in.

"Yeah, as if," Katie added, before both of them rushed down the hall to find their beloved Clare.

"GUYS! YOU CAN'T..." Mr. Simpson shouted, following behind them, but it all got lost in the background while the two looked up and down the halls.

Alli felt her breathing get shakey, her hands tremble as she held them up to her eyes which were flowing tears already coming. She started sobbing, nearly falling in Dallas.

"Hey, come here," he said, wrapping his arms around Alli's shoulder while she rested her head on his chest, not caring about the lies anymore. Her knees felt wobbly and she felt so weak.

Dave, on the other hand, saw this as a threat.

He busted up the steps of the gym, rushing to break them up.

"Hey, what the hell is going on here?" he asked, gently shoving the two.

Dallas, opened his mouth to talk, but Alli cut him off.

"Clare's trying to kill herself," she whimpered, walking over to him. He rested her hand on her shoulder.

"What? Alli, I can't hear you, speak up," he said, seeing Jenna rise to the top of the stairs out of the corner of his eye.

"Clare's trying to kill herself!" she shouted, hitting Dave with her purse.

"What?!" Jenna screamed from the top, Becky frozen behind her.

Dave embraced his weeping love in his arms, feeling tears rush into his eyes as well.

Jenna literatly dropped to the ground, bursting in to a choir of sobs, digging her forehead into her forearm. Becky lowered herself down to meet her, slightly whispering her name as she hugged her, looking over her shoulder to watch her brother's stupid hockey team.

"This is all their fault," she said, her face starting to burn. Owen looked up from the game they were playing at the table, watching as Becky stared at him. He tapped Luke on the arm.

"What's going on?" he asked, nodding his head up, while the stare from Becky turned into a dissaproving shake.

"I'll go find out," he said, placing his cards down on the table. Becky turned her head, not wanting to see her brother or any of the hockey team mates for that matter. She softly cried along with Jenna. He lowered himself down to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to rub her back. She calmy turned around.

"This is all your fault," she softly said, shaking her head back and forth.

"This isn't his fault," Jenna mumbled.

"Jenna, what's wrong?" he asked again, touching Jenna's arm, but Becky slapped it away.

"Don't touch her. You and your stupid hockey team has already done enough," she said.

He slowly got up, confused by the matter of events.

"Dude?" he asked, looking at Dallas.

"It's bad," was all he managed to say in return.

"What's bad? What's going on? What's all my fault?" he asked, walking down to meet his teammate. Dallas took a deep breath before explaining the event.

"Mr. Simpson was giving me and Alli and Katie and Eli a lecture," he said.

"Yeah, so what else is new?" Luke asked.

They all turned their heads when they heard the cried of little Clare while she was being held by both Ms. Oh and Mr. Simpson while she franctically cried.

"Clare!" Alli and Jenna called out, running over to their friend.

"Now, girls, be careful, you may need to keep your distance," Mr. Simpson said while they walked Clare outside to the front steps.

"Over the walkie talkie's... Ms. Oh told Mr. Simpson..." his voice trailed off, looking off into space, trying to find the courage.

He looked into Luke's eyes finally.

"Clare tried to kill herself."


	2. It's Only Getting Worst

Ms. Oh looked down at the weeping anxious teenagers in the hospital waiting room. Clare had been quickly rushed to the hospital, though she was begging them not to. It had been two hours since then, but she refused to leave even though she was just a teacher. Everyone was in the waiting room, waiting to hear news of little Edwards.

A man in a white doctor's outfit slowly came up to them, reading every fine print on Clare's Aspirin bottle which Eli managed to get for him.

"Do you guys know why doctor's use Aspirin?" he asked when everyone finally noticed he was there.

Ms. Oh knew the answer: Because it thins the blood, she wanted to say, but she couldn't bare say it out loud. Helen just nodded her head. The doctor finally managed to tell them the awful truth.

"When someone is having a heart attack or a stroke, we often give the patient Aspirin, and we prescribe it to people who have blood clotting problems. Aspirin will thin the blood so that the blood doesn't clot. Too much can lead to very thin blood," he said.

Everyone's expression changed from hopeful, to worried. The doctor took a deep breath.

"I'm just going to tell you guys the truth. We did get a lot of the pills out of her system, but these are liquids, so there was quite a few that released," he started. This was the hard part.

"Clare's blood is very thin. We don't know if she'll make it. Their may not be enough blood to her brain or lungs. If she does make it, she may suffer from forgetfulness, she may not remember you, she may have unresponsive nerves and veins in her lungs. These could temporary, or permanent," he said.

Ms. Oh's jaw dropped, her mouth covering it, letting tears fall. Eli punched himself in the leg, cursing to himself. Jake stood up, doing the same thing. Helen turned, digging her head into Glen's chest. Ali and Jenna cried harder and harder, holding on to each other.

"There has to be something!" Jenna cried out over Alli's shoulder.

"She's hooked up blood bags, thankfully her liver hasn't suffered too much, but at this point, there's very little we can do. I'm sorry," he said, lingering for a moment too long, and then finally turning to go back to his patients.

Every one cried and weeped around Dallas, who felt so bad for the lies and the pain that he did do cause this.

"I am so sorry I did this," he said out loud to no one in particular.

"Oh, really?!" Jake yelled, almost jumping over the chairs.

"Yeah, try telling Clare that," Eli yelled over his shoulder.

"Are you proud of yourself?" Katie asked, softer then the guys.

Dallas, overcome with guilt, quickly left the area.

"Look I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm sorry," he said before leaving.

Jenna pulled out her phone, dialing Becky's number.

Her phone ringed in the kitchen while she poured some milk for everyone, as her family was praying for Clare.

She read the caller I.D., and quickly answered.

"Hey," she asked, trying to hide her anxiety.

"Hi," Jenna replied.

"Are you ok?" Becky asked after a deep breath.

"No. Her blood's too thin, they don't think she will make it," Jenna cried into the phone.

Becky felt her chest ache while she started crying herself.

"Jenna, I am so sorry," she cried, causing her whole family to look up from their hands and at the crying daughter.

"We're praying for her, ok?" she said.

"Thanks Becky. I just hope it works," Jenna replied, hanging up the phone.

Becky softly sobbed in the kitchen. That stupid hockey team was the reason behind this. Why would you hurt someone so innocent? Her own brother caused this!

"You better pray harder Luke, or she's not going to make and your going to go to hell!" she screamed. Her father got up immediately from his chair and ran over to her, trying to hug his weeping baby, but Becky hit his arm, pushing him to the side as she ran up stairs, filled with anger from her stupid player brother.

She ran into her bed, looking up at the ceiling, grabbing on to her stuffed penguin she got when she was 8. Why Clare? Why did He let this happen to her?

"Why, God?" she asked.


	3. My Fault

Dallas slammed himself into his bed at the Torres house. He wasn't tired, instead, he was buzzing. His own emotions were strung high, and the pressure of everything was tough, even on him. He slowly pulled himself up and grabbed his laptop. Even that was to heavy now. He opened the hot screen, his Facerange page still open from how he left it before the dance.

**56 New Items. Update Now.**

He clicked the the words that would refresh his feed. He scrolled down, looking at lame game requests, status updates talking about Clare and the night, and then some more lame game requests.

He stopped when he came to a video of Clare.

**Clare Edwards posted a new video.**

**The end.**

"How did she post a new video? She's in the hospital,"

he asked himself. He scanned the post, looking for details.

In tiny letters read: Posted two hours ago.

"The dance started two and a half hours ago... I guess she stayed behind,"

he thought. He grabbed his ear plugs from beside the bed, plugged them in, and turned up the volume to Clare's video. The first thing he noticed was how red and puffy her face was. Her voice gave him chills.

"I have tried so hard to keep it together. When I was little, all I wanted to do was work at The Toronto Interperter. I got the chance for a internship. I worked _so _hard to get it and it was a once in life time chance, but my boss took that away from me. He harrased me, and when I went to tell, everyone believed him, and not me, and I got fired... you don't know the meaning of pressure until you have to hide the fact that you were fired because _you _were sexually harrased from your family and friends and your school for weeks, just trying to find somebody who went through the same thing! I was under a lot of pressure. There was this guy there who kept bringing beer to school. He offered me a drink, and I did something I shouldn't of. Apparently he drinks more then me, and I'm a very cheap drunk, because after _one _beer, I told him. Then he tried to kiss me... Now? Now, he is spreading rumors about me to everyone, saying that we hook up and go out and get drunk together and its not true. My best friend is fast tracking to college. I'm not complaining though. My other best friend found a church friend. Again, not complaining. My boyfriend doesn't believe a word I say. He dosen't trust me, and our friend doesn't either. He tries to hard to ignore and avoid me. He doesn't trust me either," she said. Dallas got a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing the worst part was coming.

"I don't know why my dad doesn't talk to me anymore, because I used to be his little girl," she added, balling now.

"I don't know why my friend doesn't trust me. I don't know why my boyfriend doesn't love me anymore. I don't know why my boss kissed me. I don't know why beer guy kissed me... I have tried so hard to keep it together, but... between you and me," she said at no one in particular.

"I'm done," she said. She lingered on the screen for a second before the video ended.

Dallas gently clossed the screen of his computer before setting it off to the side. He held his hand to his mouth and started sobbing. He couldn't believe he would push someone this far. He was the villain everyone hated, and he almost killed a girl. This was all his fault.

* * *

**I know this doesn't really talk about Clare's health, but I got this idea after watching the suicide attempt in Cyberbully and I had to do it. I hope you guys like it!**


	4. I Missed You

Eli's arms and legs were crossed while he watched his girlfriend sleep. She took deep breaths with a oxygen mask on her and she was hooked up to blood bags. Her parent's talked to the doctor behind him. Alli and Jenna became hysterical, so they had to leave. Adam left too. He decided to go see Becky for a little bit. The words of the doctor was faint behind him. He heard only what he needed to hear.

"Her blood is still thin, but..." he words faded. All he needed to know was his angel's blood was too thin. He didn't understand why she would want to do this to herself. She was his angel, his life, his meaning.

_"I guess this is what it feels like to have that taken away from you,"_ he thought. He felt awful for the things he said to her and nasty glares he gave her. He loved her. He really did. That's why he was scared. He hadn't felt so passionate about someone like this before, which was breaking every rule he made for himself.

First, he was never going to fall in love again. That pain was too much for him to handle in the first place. Then he meet Clare, and he couldn't contain himself when it came to her. His throat got dry just by seeing her. Within a week, he was helping her deal with her parent's fighting. One week. Hell, it was one day when she told him.

This all scared him. Little cross and abstinence ring wearing Saint Clare had broken his shell that he worked very hard to make.

Believe it or not though, this was not scariest part. He had never felt so important to someone. Clare's life had literatly rested in his hands, and he threw it out the window. She loved, trusted, and cared about him so much, that she almost killed herself because she thought he didn't feel the same way.

After everything they had been through, Eli did still love her, but if he were to be hurt again, he would probably end up in Clare's position. Maybe that would be better. Clare was stronger then this. She was his heart and soul. He would much rather die then to see all her colorful ideas, dreams, hopes, and energy be wasted. No doubt about it.

Clare's eye's felt heavy. She felt them like bricks on her eye's.

_"No, please,"_ she thought.

She barely opened her eyes to blindly see the ceiling. She heard the beeps from the machines.

_"NO!"_ she mentally screamed.

ONE thing was all she wanted. ONE THING. She didn't want to be here, because apparently, no one really wanted her here anyways.

She started to sob, knowing she would have to face school, her parent's, her friend's, and her boyfriend, and what would change?

Nothing.

"Clare?" she heard. No, she just wanted to be by herself, try again maybe. She didn't want any of this.

Her eyes were squeezed shut. Eli turned to find her parent's, but they had moved down the hall. He looked at his weeping love, realizing how much pain she was really in. He spilled tears along with her.

"Why would you do this?! I didn't want this!" she screamed into the oxygen mask.

"Clare, please," he sobbed.

She curled into a fetal position, crying harder and harder.

"No..." she kept saying to herself over and over again.

He went to lean down to whisper and kiss into her ear, hug his darling, show her he still loved her. She wacked him hard in the chest and through his arm off of her.

"You ruined everything!" Clare yelled.

"I'm sorry Clare, I am so sorry I hurt you this bad," he started yelling over her.

"I'm sorry I let this happen to you but I love you! I know you don't think it, but Clare, I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm not going to be good enough for you and that I'll let you down, and I don't want to Clare! You deserve the best. You are so smart and beautiful and creative and I love you. I was scared to I let someone in again and I was scared that it was all a mistake, but the only mistake I ever made was let this happen to you," he said.

"No, your not," Clare whispered, still crying every ounce of water she had in her.

"Yes I am Clare, I am, I'm so sorry," he cried, holding on to her arm, his hand shaking badly. He stared at her, hoping she would forgive him, or atleast say it was okay.

She sinked down and grabbed his shoulder.

"Then why did you give up on me?"

"I didn't want to be hurt again, but I just hurt myself," he said.

He pressed his forehead to her's.

"Please," he begged.

She pulled her face up and looked at his lips. He slid his hand up her face and gently pulled her oxygen mask off. They pecked, but had to stop when Clare started to sob again. She pulled back, and Eli, thinking that he just did a stupid move, started to hate himself more and more.

She looked at him more, staring right into his bright green eyes filled with tears, and grabbed him by the back of his neck, and pulled him again, not holding anything back. Theyre toungues slid into each others mouth.

"I love you Clare," Eli said when they finally ended.

"I love you more," she said.

"I doubt that," he replied.


	5. You Were Supposed to Love Me

Clare crossed her arms and looked down, refusing to share a glance with her father.

_"He doesn't deserve to be here. I deserve better then him," _Clare though.

It was sick that she felt that way towards her own father, but so was he. Her mother gave him everything. She gave her life for him, had his children, let alone raised them, and for what? Lies, cheating. Yeah, he was a good father, what with lieing, sneaking around, and ignoring his daughter. He didn't think about her or his family when he was his little girlfriend, so why should she give him the time of day? She was a daddie's girl. She loved and looked up to her dad. She should. He's her dad, but he threw it all away when he ignored every phone call and email. Hey, aslong as he was having fun with his non-biological family while she was feeling useless and trapped in her own house, then why should he complain? He got what he wanted after all.

He slowly walked into the room, staring at his little girl. He had his iPad in his hands after watching her video on Facerange. He hurt her too much, and he didn't even realize what he was doing. He did have longer hours at work because he was sure that his boss hated him after cheating with a women 10 years younger then him. He had a baby coming and his girlfriend's kid's to take care of. He tried to reach out to her, but sometimes he forgot, or got busy, or was too tired to even undress. He was trying hard to make it work, and that made it fall apart. He was slowly killing his daughter, and didn't even know it.

As he slowly walked up to her side, the redder her arms were, the more intense her stare was, and the more she tried to ignore him.

"I don't know what to say, because I don't know what I can say to make this better," he conffessed. Having lived with this girl, her sister and her mother for nearly twenty three years, he knew that sometimes, you can't undo what you did, but, maybe Clare was ready to confess some things.

"Tell me she was a mistake," she started. "Tell me you never should of hurt mom. Tell me you never thought of me when you were with your slut. Tell me you love her kids more then your own. Tell me that you've given up on me. Tell me you hate your own family, because after all these lies, I think I deserve some truth," she said. Each sentence made her madder, more furiated, more frustraded. Now she was staring at her father, and her gaze would forever haunt her father.

He felt more and more worthless, because she wasn't right, but she had a point. He did hurt her mother, a women he loved for a very long time, and when he should of ben thinking about Clare, he was thinking of her, but no matter what, he still loved and missed his little girl.

"Clare, I am so sorry I made you feel that way," he said, sitting down. "It was wrong for me to cheat on your mother, I shouldn't of done, and I know I hurt all three of you, and sometimes it kills me, but Clare, I will never love anyone more then I love you or Darcy. I didn't mean to hurt you, and kills me that I did. I didn't know it was this bad, and I wish I could of done something, but I didn't," he said.

"But you could of!" she screamed, hitting him.

He took a deep shakey breath.

"Clare, I know I let you down," he started.

"I was a daddies girl! I looked up to you! I looked up to a liar and a cheater! You don't love me!" she screamed, hitting him harder and harder.

"Yes I do Clare!" he shouted.

Clare fell back onto her bed, breathing hard, balling, not able to look at her father.

"Clare, there isn't a day the goes by that I don't think about you or Darcy or mom. I know I was hurting you, but I didn't want to, I just..." he took a pause.

"I fell in love with someone else," he said.

Clare's face balled up, and she started balling.

"But I though you love _me,_" she said.

"I do honey, I do," he said.

Clare hated this man who calls himself her father, but she was so desperate to feel loved by her daddy, she gave in.

She sat up and hugged him. He held his weeping daughter in his arms, promising himself that after today, nothing would be the same.


	6. Make a Change

It was two days after Clare's suicide attempt, and the whole school had heard about it. Everyone was making up stories to go along with it. Dallas became a victim now, everyone turned their guns on him and blamed him for everything, which was true. He just didn't know it would be this hard. That didn't matter though. He climed his way up the Degrassi steps, boiling with an idea he wanted to share with everyone. He sneaked his way through the crowd's of people to meet in the theatre with Eli, Katie, Adam, Alli, Jenna and Jake. He asked them to come, and hopefully they were there.

He pushed the doors open, making a few people jump. He smiled and walked down the steps to everyone.

"Guys, I am so glad your here, I have a great plan," he started.

"What? Ruin her life some more?" Alli asked. Dallas took a deep breath.

"Look, I know I did some bad things. I lied, I started rumors, and I am not proud of it. I cant take back what I said. I wish I could. I can't change what happened with her dad, or with her boss, or anything. That doesn't mean I can't try to help now. One of the reasons she did this was because of her boss right? Well, if there's one thing the Toronto Interperter knows, it's that publicity can be a great weapon, and how else to use then to protest outside the building?" he asked.

"You want to protest Asher?" Eli asked standing up.

"I don't know what else to do..." Dallas admitted.

"Look, this can work. Asher will get a bad name and so will his boss and anyone else who let this happen. News channel's, newspapers, everyone will be all over this," he said.

"I don't think making a big decission like this because gun's are turning on you is a good idea," Eli said.

"Quick impulse decissions are never the best," Katie chimmed in.

"Yeah, and it'll just be us. They'll know we are her friends, they'll see right through it," Jake added.

"But it won't be just us," Dallas said.

"There are a ton of kids, including the hocket team and Becky and who knows else, who are willing to do this protest," he said.

"They're just waiting fot the okay," he said.

"How many people?" Eli asked.

"Like, maybe, thirty-some people," Dallas said.

Eli was tooken back. Over thirty people want to help Clare... and stand up to sexual harrasment.

"You know, this could be very powerful," Jake said.

"Wha- that's what I've been saying," Dallas said.

"That's a lot of people," Katie said.

Alli and Jenna felt nervous. Everyone seemed to be taken back, but excited, but the Interperter had plenty of things up there sleeves, and the whole thing could back fire.

"Guys, they have tweets and emails which are the reason Clare got fired. They can easily publish it and it won't work," Jenna said.

"What, they have a few tweets of her saying she loves working for Asher? Fine, we can go to a different newspaper and give them tweets she sent to her friends. Bet you they are no different," Adam said.

"I don't know guys," Jenna said.

"Come on this will work," Dallas said.

Jenna looked at Alli for help.

"That bastard took away Clare's dream. I will be dammed if he thinks he can get away with it," Katie said.

"Let's do this!" Alli said..


	7. A Taste of Your Own Medicine

It was five thirty in the morning. The sun was barely up while the students started marching to the Toronto Interperter. Thirty seven students in all. They all parked a few blocks away, and everyone was wearing the same shirt and most were carrying signs. Today was the day they would protest. They got up early to make sure Asher would walk by and see it on his way to work. Most of the kids had snuck out to be here.

They all gathered around, waiting for instructions from the head's of the group. Everyone sat down around them, while Eli, Dallas, Jake, Katie and Alli stood with their back to eachother. Jenna and Adam watched them from below. Within in minutes, someone finally spoke up.

"Do we know why we are here?" Dallas asked.

There were a few scattered answers. "For Clare!" "Anti-suicide!" "Sexual harrasment!" "Take down Asher!"

"Well, your all right," Eli said.

"We are here to let that sick pervert know he can't get away with sexual harrasment!" he added.

Everyone clapped around him.

"It's bastards like this, that cause situations like Clare's," Jake said.

"We need to change this!" Alli said.

"We'll give him a taste of his own medicine. He humiliated Clare and took away her dream. Were not afraid to let that happen to him, are we?!" Katie shouted.

"NO!" everyone shouted, clapping.

"Let's make a change!" Katie shouted.

"We won't let him get away with this!" Dallas shouted.

"He'll see what it feels like," Eli added on.

Everyone clapped, grabbed their signs, and started chanting "Stand up! Stand up! Stand up! Stand up!"

Katie, Jake and Dallas moved some kids to the other side of the entrance way.

It wasn't until about six when people started coming in to work, all walking by and seeing the signs. Most of the people there knew about Clare being fired, but they hadn't heard the true story. Most of them stopped and asked one of the kids what was going on. They all answered the same: "Asher Shostack sexually harrased Clare Edwards, and now he's going to see what it feels like to be embarrased. He took away her dream, now we're taking away his!"

A few people would laugh, some would just stare in disbelief. Asher's best friend who worked there immediatly texted him what was going on, but Asher's phone was turned off.

Asher finally pulled up about five minutes later. He was confused, mostly because from where he parked, he couldn't see the signs or see who was chanting. He was late for turning in a story and was a bit of a mess getting into work. When he saw the first sign, he pace slowed. He got closer and closer, and saw all the signs and kids. Some has pictures of Clare on the signs and back of the shirts. He first though that they meant stand up to cancer, that new thing he saw on TV that was going around. They were protesting _him_. Eli wasted no time making sure all eyes were on Asher. He blew his air horn, making everyone stop.

"Look who it is, the pervert of the Interperter," Jake said, getting in his face.

"Maybe you should just admit that you were wrong, everyone know's your guilty," Eli added, joining Jake.

Asher looked at Eli and though he knew a easy way out of this while Dallas, Becky, Luke and Jenna creeped behind them.

"Look, I already told you," Asher started, but Eli cut him off.

"Your a liar!" Eli shouted.

"And a pervert!" Jake added.

"Your sick!" Katie shouted from the side.

"Look, I know what your trying to do, and it isn't going to work," Asher started.

"Okay, smart ass, what are we doing?" Luke asked. He walked up to Asher and pushed him.

"You don't want to go there with me," Asher said.

"What, you gonna touch me too?" Luke asked, spreading his arms out.

Asher looked away, annoyed and secretly majorly sweating under his shirt.

"If you think you can get away with this, your way out of line buddy," Katie said, walking up to him too.

"Just admit you touched her, and this will all go away," she said.

Asher made his way through the crowd, pushing everyone aside, making everyone boo him and yell out filthy but true name's. Everyone started chanting again as he made his way to his office. When he made his way there, he saw Jennifer, watching from the big windows down at the protest. He made his way next to her.

"I can't believe they are doing this," Asher said, trying to rub her arm.

She backed up so she was looking at him. "I can," she said.

She headed to her desk, and started packing everything into a little box.

Asher, confused, walked over next to her desk.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I quit," she said bluntly.

"They're protesting me not you," he said, thinking that would change everything.

He was wrong, as usual.

"You don't get it," she said. She took a deep breath. She had seen her video, and knew everything about Clare's suicide attempt.

"Clare tried to kill herself. She took thirty some pills and a lot of them broke down in her system and she almost died. She said outright in a video that you kissed her. She's _going _to take you to court, and I am _going _to help her. A little secret of mine," she said. She continued packing, but suddenly stopped.

"Why don't you just admit you did it?" she asked.

"This is my job. Not Clare's. I'm not going to let some teenage girl ruin it," he said. He walked away to his office angered. He slammed the glass door. She smiled. She grabbed her box to take down the first load of things to her car.

When she got in the elevator, she took the microphone out from under her blazer.

"You get that?" she asked into it.

"Loud and clear," Eli's voice said in the ear piece.


	8. Thank You

Randal slid his car into the closest parking spot at around eight thirty. His baby girl Clare was in the backseat with a tie around her eyes. She had finally been released from the hospital. Randal knew all about the protest and was excited to see Clare's reaction when he would untie the tie from her head. She didn't know about the protest, and everyone stopped chanting when they saw his car pull up.

"Why did they stop chanting?" Clare asked. She didn't hear what they were saying, but she knew someone was out there chanting something.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Randal said, exiting the car.

Clare was groggy, tired, and high on anti-depressants. She was exhausted from waking up so early and wanted nothing more than to go home and stay in bed... and never come out.

He gently pulled her arm up and helped her out of the car. She expected to be at his new condo or something. She felt his fingers tug at the knot in the back of her head, in process pulling on her hair. She felt the tie get looser and looser until it finally fell, but immediately had to close her eyes. The sun was bright and she was seeing it clearly for the first time since she left the hospital, plus the tie pressed on her eyes and she felt dust all over them. She slowly opened her eyes at last, seeing Eli surrounded by all the protesters.

She looked up and saw 'Toronto Interpreter' sign above them. She shuddered.

"Does Asher know your here?" she asked.

"Yeah, and he was pretty pissed," Eli said, holding up his sign for her to see. "But we don't care."

He walked up to his love and put his arm around his love. He spread arms out wide and they walked in a circle.

"They all came here to support you and to take down Asher," he said. He pointed to the jocks.

"Even Luke and Dallas," he said. Clare was still hurt by them, and she wasn't willing to forgive easily.

"Why?" she asked.

"Clare, we were wrong, and we didn't mean to make you feel that bad," Luke said.

"We shouldn't have been drinking on school property, and it's our fault," Dallas added.

"I guess we were mad at ourselves, and we deserved detention," Luke said, looking at the ground.

"It was wrong for me to spread rumors and try to break you guys up, and I apologize," Dallas said.

Even though Clare hated their guts and doubted they would stop, tears still rushed to her eyes. She at least got the one thing they wanted from them.

"Thank you, guys," she choked. Both of them patted her back, giving her a little rub on her back as well.

She turned to Eli.

"Thank you," she said.

"Oh, were not finished yet," he smiled.

"Jennifer had a recording device under her blazer," Luke speaked up.

"And it recorded something that maybe you could use to help bring down Asher," he said.

He put the ear buds in her ear, and pressed play. Two voices came on.

"Why don't you just admit you did it?" she heard Jennifer's voice said. She froze when she heard Asher's voice.

"This is my job. Not Clare's. I'm not going to let some high school girl ruin it," he said.

For a second, hearing him say that made her feel worthless and stupid. The familiar feelings came rushing back, but then she realized what this meant. She had a recording of Asher basically confessing that he has been lieing the whole time.

"Did he just admit to kissing me?" she asked after a moment.

"He admitted to lieing," Dallas said.

"I don't see how a lawyer could say it isn't proof," Eli said, snaking his arm around her again.

"You guys did this?" she asked no one in particular.

She hadn't even realized Jennifer had joined them, and she was now wearing the same shirt as everyone else.

"It was all Jennifer's idea," Eli said, opening his arm out to her.

"Hi, Clare," Jennifer said, opening her arms for a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Clare said when she hugged Jennifer.

When they broke apart, Clare's tears returned.

"I can't believe you guys did this for me," Clare said, looking around.

Eli brought his mouth to just about her ear.

"Hey, we're here for you," he said.

She smiled and brought him in for a hug. "Aw," Becky faintly cried in the back.

"What do you say we get back to protesting?" Jennifer asked, leaning back to Luke and Dallas.

"Yes, I like it!" Dallas said.

"Stand up! Stand up!" Luke started chanting.

Pretty soon everyone was chanting. Clare scrunched her eyebrows.

"Isn't 'Stand up' for cancer?" she asked into Eli's ear.

"Asher needs to stand up, and admit what he did. He's a pervert, and until he admits he did wrong, he will have no respect from me nor anyone else who matters," he replied into her ear.

She pulled back and looked into his emerald-green eyes.

"Thank you," she said.

"Your welcome blue," he said, smirking.

As a new's van rolled up to report the happenings on tv, Clare crashed her lips into his, sliding her tongue in to play with his. They had their most passionate kiss yet while Clare wrapped her arms around Eli's neck and Eli wrapped his around her waist. There was no way one of them was letting go first.


	9. Overwhelemd

Asher sat at his desk. All day, people had either been giving him disproving or concerned looks. Everyone knew the so-called rumors, and no one was pleased. He sat in front of his computer, staring at Clare's video. Someone, probably someone from her school or maybe even her parents or a news reporter, posted the video. He paused it at the beginning, try to decide whether or not he should hit play. Clare was looking off in the distance, her face red and puffy. He already clicked off it five times, but kept coming back. What was so bad that it made Jennifer quit? The TV's at the Interpreter were continuously playing the new's, catching up on what the group outside was doing now. Asher hoped they would go away when Monday came and they had to go to school.

He took a deep breath and left clicked on the video. Her lips started to move and her voice echoed in his head. She told her whole story and hid nothing back. Probably because she thought she would never have to talk about it again when she made it.

When it came to the end, Asher's eye's were filled with tears. He remembered what it felt like being raised by just his mother in a poor setting. The few times his dad would come around, he always let him down. He felt stupid for crying, but if there was one thing he understood and could relate to, that was it.

He pulled himself together, refusing to cry. He had to get over this. She was just a random high school girl. Eventually those kids would give up... right? That's when his boss busted in.

"You have to see this," she said. She took the remote and change it to live news. Clare and Eli were standing there in front of the building.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" the reporter asked behind the camera. Eli automatically answered.

"We want Asher Shostack to just admit what he's done. He's at least sexually harassed two girls and never got in trouble for it. He's gotten away with is before, but he need's to know what he did wrong and that he can't expect people to not care. He took away a girls dream. He's a liar and a pervert, and he needs to admit it, and Clare should get her internship back," he said.

"I see, and what exactly did he do?" the reporter asked. Eli stood there, looking embarrassed. It was Clare who spoke up first.

"He kissed me," she choked up.

"I understand you were just released from the hospital?" she asked.

"Yeah," Clare replied shyly.

"And it was a suicide attempt, right?" the reporter asked.

"Yes," Clare said.

She turned the TV off. She turned to Asher, furiated.

"A SUICIDE attempt!" she said. Asher looked down at his computer. The video was still up. So much for getting over it. He looked up at his boss.

"Do you know what this means? I have no way of backing you up now," she said.

"She almost killed herself! On purpose!" she yelled.

"I did it," he said quietly.

"What?" she asked, not hearing him.

"She's right... I was wrong. I did it," he said.

She stared at him, mad as hell. She slowly started nodding her head.

"Confessing?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Good idea," she said.

She went out and grabbed two boxes from above the metal cabinet outside.

"Get your stuff, get out, and go to the second floor. You know where to go," she said.

She threw the box down on the office desk and stomped out of his office. He filled it with his things, and headed down, ready to make a re-statement.

All in all, Asher lost his job, but there was a silver lining.

Afterwards, his boss slipped outside, staring down the walkway at the protesters. Most of the people were turned the other way, so she uncomfortably made her way to group. She saw Clare standing towards the middle talking to her boyfriend. She quietly and quickly made her way up to her and lightly tapped on her arm. Clare was shocked to turn around and see her.

"I need to talk to you," she said plainly.

Eli looked concerned. "You ok?" he asked.

Clare turned to look at him. "Yeah, I'll be ok," she said, kissing his cheek.

They walked down a little way from the crowd.

"Look, I didn't start this, but I'm not going to encourage them to stop," Clare said.

"It isn't about this," she said quickly.

"It's not?" Clare was utterly confused. There was protest going on in her honor and that's not what was on her mind?

"I guess Asher got a little over whelmed," she started.

Clare got a rush in her stomach. Please, please, please...

His boss places a hand on Clare's shoulder.

"I am so sorry I doubted you," she said.

"W-w-what do you mean?" Clare asked.

"You were right. Asher confessed," she said.

Clare's mouth dropped.

"Your kidding me," Clare said. She then noticed the chanting was dieing as everyone was watching Clare.

"So I have some good news," she said.

"If you want, we can find someone else to help you continue your internship," she said.

Clare was so overwhelmed with everything that had happened today, she didn't know what else to say.

"Yes, yes, I want to do it, thank you," she said.

She grabbed her Clare's hands.

"Welcome back," she said.

"Come in, maybe Tuesday around five, and you can meet your new boss and get started by Thursday," she said.

"Thank you so much," Clare said, starting to cry.

"Again, I'm sorry, and let's hope this one goes better than the last one, eh?" she asked.

Clare laughed a little.

"You have no idea," Clare said.

"Alright, well I'm going to go, I will see you on Tuesday, and maybe you can tell your friends the good news?" she asked, looking at the crowd.

"I will, I'll end all of this, and thank you, thank you, thank you again," Clare said.

Instead of responding, she held her hand up for a high-five, which Clare gave her.

She walked back into the building and Clare walked back to crowd.

"What happened?" Eli asked.

"I got my internship back," Clare replied, smiling.

"What do you mean?" Eli asked.

"I mean this worked! He cracked," she said.

"Your kidding? He admitted to it?" he asked.

"Yeah, and now I get to my internship with someone else," she said.

Eli broke out into a big smile.

"Clare that's great," he said, giving her a hug. At that moment, when she was wrapped in her boyfriends arms, her once bullies and now supporters a few feet away, a regained daddies' girl with her internship back, she started sobbing tears of joy.

Eli pulled back.

"Whats wrong? You don't want too?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"That's not it... I got everything I wanted... everything Eli!" she said. She stood on her toes and hugged him. He hugged her back as tight as she was holding him, and started crying himself into her neck.

Pretty soon everyone started clapping around them.

So let's see...

A gorgeous, proud, and sweet boyfriend? Check.

Daddy? Check.

People that believe in her? Check.

Her internship? Check.

Everything she wanted in the first place?

Double check.

* * *

**The end!**

**If you read my other stories, you'll know, I usually don't do a footer unless I have something I need to say lol XD**

**First of all, in the month of September, which is so far, one day, my stories have gotten, what, 98 views last time I checked?! Two less then one hundred in one day?! A good 65% came from THIS STORY RIGHT HERE! So thank you all for reading! Thanks for checking up on the story and following the story as well!**

**Also, I kept saying 'Asher's boss' and 'she'... I forget the chicks name XD She's the blonde one with the pencil eyebrows... that Clare went too when she made the complaint and she fired her? THAT ONE. :)**

**I also wanted to say that I sorta wrote this whole story with this song Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls in mind, because my favorite word is bittersweet, and this whole story and song sorta screams that out at me! So if you want to check it out, please do :) Thank you guys again, and check out my other stories if you want, but just thanks for the support :)**

**Luv ya!**


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